Synthetic Brushes for Watercolor

What qualities do you look for in a watercolor brush? Most artists consider spring, water-holding and color-holding capacity, and the ability to hold fine points and sharp edges to be the most important. While natural hair watercolor brushes have been the norm for generations, many excellent synthetic and synthetic/natural blend alternatives have been developed that work as well or better than their natural counterparts. Many synthetic watercolor brushes also last longer and carry a lower price tag.

Blick offers a large assortment of synthetic watercolor brushes in a range of essential sizes and shapes that include rounds, washes, mops, liners, and more. Synthetic watercolor brushes can contain golden taklon, white taklon, nylon, or even proprietary blends of natural and synthetic fibers — all designed to emulate the best qualities of sable, camel, squirrel, mongoose, and other artist favorites. While brushes with softer fibers are the norm for watercolor painting, synthetic watercolor brushes with stiffer bristles can also be used to create special effects and textures in your paintings. Synthetic watercolor brushes generally have short handles, so you can work close to your painting surface, have control over your strokes, and create precise details.